Refrigerator.



P. FLEURY..

REFRIGERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.19, 1910.

Patented Marl24, 1914.

2 SHBETS -SHE ET 1.

P. FLEURY. RBFRIGERATOR. APPLICATION FILED MAR.19, 1910 1 32 Patented Mar. 24, 1914b v 2 sums-sum: 2.

\Yw v r l r f in.

rIEaaaFLEuaY, orrams, FRANCE.

, REFRIGERATOR.

Specification of Letters l atent.

- Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

Application filedMaz-ch 19, 19-10. Serial No, 550,408.'

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PIERRllRELEURY, a citizen of the French Republic, residin at Paris, in France, have inventeda'cer ain new and useful Improvement in Refrigerators, of which the following is a specifipa tion.

The present invention relates to a novel apparatus forpreserving perishable sub stances during transit 1n cars, ships or in warehouses and the like, and the object is,

' to effectsuch preservation by simple refrigstance to be preserved germs to develop.

eration in a dry atmosphere and without depriving the articles of their Water constitucnts.

The condition of dryi "ifs around the subt only arrests the development of external germs, but has further the effect of contracting the skin in the ease of fruit or a section of bruised meat, and can in certain cases form a preservative pellicle which prevents the bruised portions from spreading and contaminating adjacent parts. On the other hand, it is necessary, in order to keep the substances in a fresh condition, to preserve their water constitu cuts and for this purpose two conditions are necessary, via, a hygrometrical state below 0.95 which contracts the skin and renders it impermeable, and a low temperature. Another condition indispensable for effective preservation is a continuous replacement of air surrounding the substance which air by the fact of its contact with said substance has a tendency to become saturated. This air, which has a tendency toward the point of saturation, must not undergo any cooling during its passage across the substances, but on the contrary it is necessary that it undergoes a slight, constant heating so that as it progresses across the substances and approaches the point of saturation, this point has a tendency to rise.

This result is obtained when the whole mass of the air is in constant and automatic vertical ascending movement, each successive and isotherm horizontal layer presenting a slight increase in temperature.

The movement, produced by a. violent propulsion, a horizontal movement of the air across the substances, and arresting of the circulation, produce saturation of the air and conse uently condensation occurs which'softens t e'wrappers containing 'the substances and permits the ferments and The object of the present inventibn is to remove these serious disadvantages. An embodiment of the invention is shown n the annexed drawings which represent its application to a railroad car.

igure 'lmis' a vertical section of a car and 1-l of Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of part of the appara-tus on a larger scale.

The floor A, the side walls 13, the roof C and the doors D of the car are formed of heat insulating material and preferably comprise double walls having interposed in,

its interior arrangement on the line sulating substances such as cork, paper, felt culation of air from below upward around the articles to be preserved, which are placed on bases of Wood or other material in packages sufliciently distanced from each other so that the air can surround and circulate about them. Pieces of meat are preferably suspended on hooks.

A convenient number of refrigerating apparatuses is placed inside the car, conveniently spaced inorder. to insure a general movement of the air-and whereby the air is maintained at a suitable temperature.

Each refrigerating apparatus extends from the level of the lath's E of the car.

Each refrigerating apparatus comprises a casing F having double walls inclosing nearly to the roof insulating material similar to that used in.'

the manufacture of the Walls of the car, the insulating effect being preferably in creased by a sheet of thick felt, and within said casing are arranged vertical galvanized iron angle bar G of T or U section, grouped in such a manner as to form a lurality of air conduits. As'will be seen cm Fig. 2 of the drawing these conduits are disposed in groups lying midway along and across the chamber respectively, thus dividing the latter into compartments by separating walls, said walls each consisting of a row of vertically disposed bars and conduits. The lower ends of the T bars of one ofsaid cross walls are bent horizontally outward from, the cross Wall andextend to the sides of the chamber so as to form a floor-on which the ice rests and also to form continuationswitheconduits. {The terms webs of the T bars face outwardly and form the surface oi the Wall and also of the floor, thus presenting a substantially ,flat surface against which the ice rests. The bars and the ice are supported within the casings F which are sheathed with zinc or galvanized sheet iron. The sheathing is arranged to form gutters P which collect the Water and conduct it into the funnel I. Theice is introduced through openings in the root and closed by doors H. The tunnel receives the water thawing oil" from the ice. The discharge pipe J from the funnel extends into a small vessel K made of sheet iron, which vessel when once filled forms a hydraulic seal. 1 I

The operation of this apparatus is as fol lows: The air in the conduits formed by the bars G is cooled and naturally descends. The casings F do not. extend. up to the roof of the car and thus form with the space left at their lower portions 11 series of vessels communicating above and below with the interior of the car. The Warmer air in the body of the car beingunahle to balance the cooled air columns of the same height in the casings, air passes from the body of the into the upper part of the-casings replaces the cooled air which flows out of the lower ends of the casings along the bottom of the car,,spreads below the lathe E and becoming heated while in contact with the substances to be preserved, ascends around the articles. It is an essential feature of this inyention that this movement of the air shall be automatic and due only to density ditzt'erehces caused by the heat derived from the substances to be preserved, and. that there. shall be no tendency to produce currents, counter active to the desired, directionof circulation. While discharging from the casings the air is saturated with. Water, but immediately its temperature is slightlydncreased its hygrometrio condition is lowered. This slight and constant heating is netinfluenced by radiation nor contact with the exterior oi the ice-containing casings F owing to the complete insulation of the walls of said casings, ancl'the continued regular ascent, always correspon ing to a, it increase of temperatur never permit to arrive at a point t =aturat-ion.

sation is thus entirely ronfined to interior of the. casings and the :le oft cite-1h. tion continues definitely and autmnetically. This continuous Washing i oi the same air condensation, renders it pert 1 pure and aseptic. All odo and earl). l C acid given oil by the substances are absorbed. by and carried oil with the Water oil condense tion.

By means oil this appara ture of the substances, hic i moment of their introducrmu, r increase of heat which accelerates lation of the air and produces an energetic drainage of the exterior moisture of the 'sub stances and renders them better adapted to resist the effects of oscillations and jolting preserving center.

. n the apparatus described the external heat is an active element of the preservation, since this heat is the cause of the movement of the internal air with all of its resulting action.

In the event of transit of the substances having to be eliccted at a temperature below zero a gas burner disposed below the vessel K which receives the thaw-water, is suiticicnt to maintain the liow and to'communicate by the conductibility of the funnel a slight heat, suliicient for the proper working of the apparatus as the charge itself and the insulation of the walls represents an important supplementary vehicle of heat. It is obvious that the above described apparatus is applicable not only to cars, but also to ships, warehouses, and the like, only the form of the external Walls being varied. As re ards the internal installation-Which is the oh ect of the present invent-ion it remains substantially identical inall cases What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1.. In apparatus for preserving perishable substances, the combination with a closable chamber for said substances of a heat insulated casing in said chamber open at the.

top and bottom and comprising a plurality of bars of angular section grouped to form unimpeded air circulating conduits in said 3. In apparatus for preserving perishable substances, the combination with a closablc chamber for said substances of a heat insaluted casing}; open at the top and bottom, and a phuality of bars oi angular sect-ion grouped to form two vertical hollow cross walls within said casing spaced from the Walls of the casing and having their lower ends bent horizontally toward the walls .of

the casing.

4. In apparatus for preserving perishable substances, the combination with a closable chamloer for said substances of aheat 1nof refrigerating matter, said bars beingbent horizontally'at their lower ends for supporting the refrigerating matter exteriorly of the conduits, together with means for draining the condensed and drip water from the casing to the exterior of said chamber, and a hydraulic seal for said draining means.

In witness whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

PIERRE FLEURY. Witnesses:

JEAN MARIE PoYE'r, EnoUAno ANGLES. 

